Governor's Tax Cut Plan Faces Final Vote In State Senate

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson's proposal to cut income taxes for the middle class by $102 million a year faces its final vote in the Legislature.

The state Senate was scheduled Thursday to vote on an amended version of Hutchinson's proposal that would result in a 1 percent reduction in income taxes for those making between $21,000 and $75,000 a year.

The Senate approved the cut last week, but the House changed the proposal to restore a portion of a capital gains tax break that the measure initially called for repealing. If approved, the measure heads to Hutchinson's desk.

Hutchinson, a Republican who was sworn in last month, campaigned on the tax cut promise last year and has called it his top priority this session.

The Arkansas Senate has voted to shield publicly owned utility ratepayer information from release, months after the state Supreme Court said the records weren't exempt from the open records law.

The Senate voted 33-0 Wednesday in favor of legislation that would exempt municipally owned ratepayer's addresses, phone numbers and usage data from the state Freedom of Information Act. The measure now heads to the House.

The legislation would also exempt municipal utilities' plans for generation, transmission and distribution systems from the FOI law.